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Philippe IV, Électeur de Lorraine
Philippe IV, Électeur de Lorraine '(Philippe Charles Louis Laurent Constantin d’Anjou de Lorraine; 22nd December 1713 - present) is the current ''Électeur de Lorraine''and head of the Maison d'Anjou de Lorraine. He is styled as ''Monsieur le Prince''as the son of the late ''Électeur de Lorraine, Monsieur le Prince ''and ''Électrice Douairière de Lorraine, Madame la Princesse Douairière. Charming, dutiful, and determined, the young Philippe is the epitome of how Lorraines should be. A rather shy but polite boy in his youth, he was thrust into the limelight upon his father's sudden and tragic death in during the Great Fire of Roumansalle in 1727. This caused Philippe to rise up as one of the youngest electors in the empire at the mere age of 13. Biography '''Birth (1713) On the crisp, wintery morning of 22nd December 1713, a young son was born to Alexandre d’Anjou de Lorraine, Monsieur le Duc & Prince de Vaudémont, and Sophronie de Wittelsbach, Madame la Duchesse & Princesse de Vaudémont''at the Grand Palais de Roumansalle. Constantin, as he was known, was born during the regency of his grandfather, Philippe II, ''Monseigneur de Régent & Électeur de Lorraine. Constantin was a prince du sang''by birth to an Anjou cadet branch, descended from Justin I, Monsieur and first ''Électeur de Lorraine. From birth, he was styled as Monsieur le Duc d'Orléans. As a prince du sang, naturally he had impressive ancestry. Constantin’s paternal line consisted of the Électeurs de Lorraine, from his own father to his great-great-great-grandfather, Justin I. Through Justin, Constantin was descended from Michel V & VII, Empereur de Grandelumière. Hungarian, Navarrese, Austrian, and Italian blood is also notable on this side. On his maternal side, Constantin’s mother and grandmother (who were sisters) were from the electoral Wittelsbach family. Constantin’s great-grandmother, Laurène de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Viennois, one of the famous and illustrious Mortemarette''sisters, as well as Raphaëlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Viennois, yet another ''Mortemarette. Due to his parents’ relationship as aunt and nephew, Constantin was rather inbred, and would later suffer the effects in life. Early Life & Childhood (1713-1718) In early 1714, Constantin was baptized in the imperial chapel at Roumansalle. He was named Philippe Charles Louis Laurent Constantin. Philippe, in honor his electoral ancestors (Philippe I - Philippe III); Charles, for his great-grandfather and grandfather, the Électeur du Palatin; Louis, as a chosen name; Laurent, in honor of Laurène de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Viennois his paternal great-grandmother and famed Mortemarette; and Constantin, in honor of Constantin XI & XXII, the reigning sovereign at the time of his birth. Alexandre, Monsieur le Duc, took little interest in his children. When the time came for Constantin to be educated, he found himself half-heartedly finding a tutor and that was the end of that. Sophronie, his wife, was invested slightly more time in ensuring the education of her children was taken care of, though not to any notable extent, which wasn’t very uncommon in the era. Constantin was essentially raised by his governesses and his tutor, Étienne. Often seen with a book in his hand, Constantin was a very scholarly child who excelled academically. He was noted as a very bright child, often very inquisitive about the world around him. It was decided that by 1718, at the age of five. 1710 brought the start of a five-year war between those in support of Philippe II as regent, and those in support of Laurène as regent (Regentaires''and ''Mortemarettes, respectively). Riots broke out at the funeral of the late emperor, Constant IX & XXI, causing many Lorraines and Regentaires''to flee to the Château d’Haroué, where military plans were developed to take back Paris from the ''Mortemarettes. By the end of the war, Raphaël de Wittelsbach and Constance de Wittelsbach, Constantin’s grandmother and great-grandfather, had both passed away. Sometime thereafter, Raphaëlle, his great-grandmother, passed away as well. Tragedy struck the Lorraines yet again when Philippe II, the famed Monseigneur le Régent, Constantin’s illustrious grandfather, died while on a campaign in Syria in 1717. Constantin’s father assumed the title of Monsieur le Prince & Électeur de Lorraine. The young Constantin, only four years of age, succeeded his father as Monsieur le Duc & Prince de Vaudémont. He was sent off to be educated the following year, and a future in the military was discussed, though his father still lacked interest in the education of the young, bright Constantin. Education & Adolesence (1718-1727) Studying at the Hôtel de Lorraine in Paris, Constantin was noted to excel in linguistics, literature, history, and music. He dabbled in many of the arts, such as theater, painting, and botany, though he was not very fond nor skilled in these areas of education. Much to his tutor’s dismay, Constantin did not seem interested in the military, as his own ancestors were. Unfortunately, he seemed frightened of warfare, and expressed his disinterest towards joining the military. Constantin was extremely close with his younger brother, Joseph, Duc de Châtellerault. Joseph was set to become a cleric and attend court not long after Constantin. Despite different court career paths, the two bonded, spending their free time together. They read together and put on musical performances. However, Constantin was rather close to his sisters as well, though not in nearly the same capacity as he was with Joseph. Displaying a rather feminine behavior, the imperial governess from the Maison de l’Impératrice Consort, Angélique d’Anjou de Valois (a distant princesse du sang''cousin), ''Duchesse de Teck, attempted, along with Monsieur Étienne (the tutor), to help Constantin dissolve his effeminate manner before presentation at court. In this time, Constantin grew rather close to his beloved Angélique. Though he did not see her frequently, as she resided at court, she wrote often to help prepare him for court. Eventually, she became someone whom Constantin clung to as a maternal figure upon his presentation at court. Ascension to the Electorate (1727) A large fire broke out in the Palais de Roumansalle on 8th June 1727. The fire is believed to have started in the State Chambers. At the time, Constantin was preparing to join the court for the empereur’s dinner, when word of a fire reached him. Panicked, he made preparations to flee to the Hôtel de Lorraine to be with his sisters. Madame la Princesse''had not been at Roumansalle at the time, and neither had Laurène. Alexandre did not depart with his son, remaining at Roumansalle. Following the ominous collapsing of the favorites wing, Alexandre found himself cornered by rampant menagerie animals, with would maul him to death. News did not reach Constantin until morning, when he learned he had become ''Électeur de Lorraine & Monsieur le Prince''earlier during the chaos of the fire. Rather melancholy at the passing of his father, despite their distant relationship, Constantin, now Philippe IV, arrived at court in June of 1728. He almost immediately planned a meeting to discuss his bride with the ''Secretarius Barbarorum, the Prince de Grubenhagen. Philippe, as he was now known to family, prepared for his departure to Le Marais to meet his mother before court departed to Château d’Argenteuil. Engagement & Marriage (1728) Following the fire, as aforementioned, the Prince de Grubenhagen''met with Philippe to discuss his fiancée. Philippe found himself engaged to Christine Elaine Radziwiłła, ''Princesse de Radziwiłła, the daughter of a wealthy Polish magnate. His business was “of much interest to the Crown” and hence brought up the idea of an engagement. The Prince warned Philippe to be careful with his wife. She was not expected to be troublesome or lacking etiquette, but rather, the business involving the government was very serious. The Princesse was handed over at a small meeting in the village of Knetgau. The Grandelumièrian party arrived at a nearby bridge first. The party consisted of Laurène, Sophronie, Antoine Dubois (secretary and attendant to Philippe), and Philippe. The Polish party consisted of the Princesse, her sister, and several attendants. After a chest with the dowry was presented, Philippe presented his bride with a tiara he had especially crafted for the handover. Absolutely charmed and smitten with his new bride, and the Princesse reciprocating these feelings, the pair were a good match. Philippe later wrote, "The Princesse and I met today at her handover. A rather drab affair, unlike any imperial handover, the Princesse herself seemed to light the affair, casting a positive and lovely glow on the whole occasion. I was charmed, very much so, and my great-grandmère and mère seemed pleased."''Following the handover, the couple proceeded back to Château de Argenteuil, and the Princesse was introduced to the empereur by Laurène. On 21st September 1728, a ceremony for the marriage of the couple was held at the newly renovated Palais de Roumansalle. The service began mid-morning, and carried on through the afternoon. Much to the elation and honor of Philippe and Elaine, the imperial family was in attendance. Following the service, the emperor held a ball in the couple's honor. During their first dance, the couple was surrounded by the Lorraine family, the imperials, and a large amount of courtiers. Following the wedding service and ball, at approximately 6pm, the couple was dismissed by the ''Impératrice-Consort''to tend to their first marital duty. That duty, of course, was consummation. Philippe and Elaine were officially married, and little did they know, were expecting a child. Later in the evening, courtiers were welcome to present their wedding gifts in the apartments of the new couple, and family stayed for tea and cakes. '''Appointment to the Maison de l'Empereur (1729)' In June of 1729, the young Philippe approached the Dauphin-Électeur de Viennois''to obtain a title in the imperial household. Several titles were discussed, including his father's former position of Grand Constable. However, the two ultimately settled on the position of ''Garde de l'Épée, or Guard of the Sword. He was officially a courtier of the empire, and a proud holder of a title in the household. Philippe continued to strive for a reputation for himself. Taking on a role in the household, naturally, was the first step. However, in time, Philippe would grow rather ambitious to become more accomplished, as he thought any Lorraine should be. The future, though unknown and sometimes worrying, was full of opportunity for Philippe. Or so he thought, though he was quite certain of this, and would not allow himself to think otherwise. Two Deaths and a Birth (1729) The second week of July 1729 brought very large events into Philippe's life. This week would define his life "in a most bittersweet manner" and he would mention so rather often. Referred to by many names, this brief period of time just before Philippe turned 16 was, as it seemed, depressing. Melancholic, even heart-shattering, were the two deaths, and the birth was a "jubilant blessing, one bestowed upon us by His divine will." In the late afternoon of 9th July 1729, the Impératrice-Douairière de Grandelumière, Marie Ambroisie d'Autriche, began having difficulties with her heart. While attempting to sit in a chair beside the empereur, she grabbed at her heart, collapsing onto the floor and gasping for air. It was now quite apparent that she was suffering from a heart attack, and several male courtiers were called upon to aid the dying dowager to a bed. Monsieur le Prince, being young, of decent strength, and healthy stature, rushed to add several other courtiers as they carried the "pleasantly plump" Impératrice-Douairière ''to bed. During this ordeal, though too shocked to realize, Philippe suffered a minor injury to the back from the excessive weight, though he only began using a cane the following day when he realized what pain had been caused. Following last rites, confession, tearful prayers and farewells, the ''Impératrice-Douairière ''succumbed to her heart attack, dying at the age of 73. One of the few deaths Philippe had ever witnessed, it certainly traumatized him to an extent, where he began to realize "how quickly life could change, how quickly the light could dim, how quickly a soul could vanish." Two days later, Philippe found himself in the audience room of the empereur. He presented a gift commissioned by himself and his wife. This gift for the emperor was a coral-colored suit trimmed with various gemstones. Shortly thereafter, however, the ''Duchesse de Montpipeau''would inform court that word had been sent regarding Laurène, ''Prèmiere Madame la Princesse Douairière. She had, unfortunately, fallen terminally ill, and sent for her family and the emperor to be by her side. After an outburst by the emperor, court rushed to Laurène's side. She sad her goodbyes to the emperor and Lorraines first, then to the Mortemarts, and finally, the Hanovre and Valois descendants of hers. She claimed Philippe to be a "good boy who doesn't cause trouble," and knew he would be an accomplished man in life. Upon his sniffling, she told she wouldn't have any of it, and moved on to another goodbye. She then received her last rites and passed away of an illness of agonizing pain with the court shoved into her small rooms at Fontevraud, watching in sadness, shock, and horror. A role model for not only a good deal of courtiers, but for the young and ambitious Philippe, who was quite depressed by her passing, Laurène was an icon to the Grandelumièrian court. Too ill to travel from the abbey, and with court awaiting the reading of Laurène's will, Elaine remained at the abbey, and Philippe by her side. Following the reading of Laurène's will, the Lorraines returned to their quaint chambers to sleep. However, sleep would not be found, as Elaine would begin feeling rather ill. Little did Philippe know, she was in labor, and began yelping in agony. Sending for wet nurses, maids, a physician, and of course family and friends, the panicking Philippe set his cane aside (from an aforementioned back injury) and rushed to the bedside of Elaine, holding her hand tightly. The onlookers present included: Angélique, Duchesse Douairière de Wurtembergeois, a cousin and close maternal figure of Philippe's; Béatrice, Duchesse de Montpipeau, a friend and fellow courtiers of the Lorraines; Philippe, Duc de Wurtembergeois, a close friend, brother figure of Philippe, and son of Angélique; Louise, Mademoiselle de Rueil, a Mortemart cousin of Philippe's. Following the birth, the gender was revealed to be a boy. The empereur and impératrice personally visited the couple, and gifted them 100,000 livres. Upon holding the young boy, the empereur declared him to be "a true Anjou" and was very jubilant at the birth of his cousin's heir. The infant was given the title of Prince de Vaudémont. He was given the name Justin Nicéphore Laurent. Justin, for the inaugural holder of the electorate of Lorraine, and the late Enfant des Romaines, Justin, father of the empereur; Nicéphore, for a former emperor of Grandelumière; and Laurent, for Laurène, the Première Madame la Princesse Douairière, Philippe's great-grandmother who passed away just one day earlier, rooms away in the abbey. War of the Polish Succession In 1733, Grandelumière officially partook in the War of the Polish Succession. The war was following a succession crisis in Poland, where Michael II Radziwiłła, sister of Philippe's wife, was determined to be placed on the Polish throne. Philippe served as a Maréchal de Grandelumière, and had a welcoming and determined attitude toward serving in the military. In his youth, Philippe would have fallen ill with worry about war, but as he aged, he developed a more dutiful approach to matters of the State and the Crown. Phillipe served as second-in-command under Monsieur le Duc de La Trémoïlle, Philippe V. Trémoïlle led soldiers through Prussia in 1734. Fighting against Russian forces, the Grandelumièrian men had a strategic and successful victory, much to Philippe's pleasure. However, Philippe's wartime service would harden his spirit. He would become a much more dutiful man, more determined than the young, shy boy who inherited the Electorat de Lorraine at the tender age of 13. Personality and Appearance Personality Philippe possessed a charming personality. He was scholarly, enjoying very educated topics. Interested in government and politics, he prided himself on engaging in many court discussions. A rather gregarious spirit, he was respected by most of court. However, Philippe did suffer conditions from his inbred ancestors, known to be rather bipolar at times, especially in his later years. Unlike his ignorant and mentally challenged father, Philippe was caring, to a point of being quite uptight in some cases. He, despite his ancestry, was mentally stable to a degree, and possessed an overall pleasant disposition. Of course, as Philippe grew older, he certainly became more prone to be gregarious and outspoken, though he maintained his composure as best as he could without growing too explosive. Appearance Philippe had a fair, somewhat pale complexion, with somewhat rosy cheeks in his youth. He was slender, though not to an extreme degree and of average height, though he struggled to maintain good posture as to appear taller and more commanding in stature. He maintained a rather moderate diet for a courtier of the era, which helped keep a relatively healthy state of mind and body, though his inbred nature did not ease completely. Unfortunately, due to his inbred blood, he had a small chin and hardly any jawline. His nose was rather small, a Roman nose as Philippe II had. His resting expression was usually rather bored-looking, with his two round, blue eyes looking melancholy, his thin pinkish lips drawn in a straight line. Philippe had the traditional deep brunette hair of a Lorraine man, despite his mother having black hair. His cheeks were rather oddly shaped, not very round in composure. Issue With his wife, Christine Elaine Radziwiłła, Madame la Princesse, he had several children. The couple had several stillbirths and failed pregnancies and due to Philippe's inbred ancestry, some children did not survive childhood, if they survived at all. * Justin Nicéphore Laurent, Duc des Vosges ''(13th July 1729 - present) * '''Miscarriage'(17th March 1731) * Stillborn Female '''(6th May 1732) * '''Anne-Angélique Laurène, Mademoiselle de Lorraine(26th April 1733 - present) * Marie Amélie Xavière, Mademoiselle d'Orléans ''(5th August 1735 - present) * '''Miscarriage '(12th June 1736) * Miscarriage '''(8th April 1738) * '''Philippe Justin Sébastien, Prince de Vaudémont(21st June 1739 - present) Ancestry Titles, Styles, and Honors Titles * 22nd December 1713 - 9th June 1727 ''Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monseigneur le Duc d'Orléans'' * 9th June 1727 - present ''Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monseigneur le Électeur de Lorraine et Duc d'Orléans'' Styles * 10th January 1717 - 9th June 1727 ''Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Duc'' * 9th June 1727 - present ''Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Prince'' Honors * 20th June 1729 - 25th August 1735 ''Garde de l'Epée'' * 25th January 1730 - present ''Chevalier de l'Ordre de Ordre Suprême de la Très Sainte Assomption'' * 30th July 1735 - present ''Chevalier de l'Ordre Sacré Militaire Constantinien de Saint-Georges'' * 2nd August 1735 - presentCatépan d'Orléanais * 25th August 1739 - present ''Grand Maître des Cérémonies de l'Empire'' * 1st September 1739 - present ''Chevalier de l'Ordre du Saint Paraclet'' * 2nd September 1739 - present ''Archipraeco de l'Empire'' * 2nd September 1739 - present ''Chevalier de l'Ordre de l'Hermine''